God saved me on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway (in a VW Polo)

This is a discussion on God saved me on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway (in a VW Polo) within Drive Safe, part of the Road Safety category; Hello Dear Friends,
God wanted me to stay alive and I really thank him. On 14th August it was raining ...

Hello Dear Friends,
God wanted me to stay alive and I really thank him. On 14th August it was raining moderately on Lonavala Ghat section. I was alone, time 12 noon or so. Speed of the car about 80 at that junction.

For details of my car ownership: "Playing Polo on the Black Stallion"

Turn of events:
1. Just crossing Sinhgad Institute is a big turn, roads are wet. Must be 80kmph at that turn.
2. My car wears Yokohoma S Drives - meant for rain (I suppose). The car and tyres done 29500 kms on it.
3. I have Polo TdI Black Highline model which has ABS & Airbags.
4. The car is maintained really well, absolutely no issues, no niggles throughout approx 30K kms of its life since May 2011 last year.
5. Car was due for servicing at 30K and I had appointment to give it to KSM motors after my day long trip to Pune.
6. Anyway at that crucial turn about 100 meters from Singhad institue, a speeding truck just kissed my Polo's left back side.
7. The car just lost control as I applied breaks in panic, I could hear or feel the ABS.
8. The car swirled around atleast 6 times ( I counted) on the highway in the same direction I was travelling (towards Pune)
9. I could see the car move into the divider section & I began praying that I dont get crossed to the other side of the expressway just to be tossed by speeding vehicle coming from the front.
10. I dont know what happened then (after i broke into the middle part of the 2 highway sections).. I started hearing lot of noises and car taking weird directions (turning topsy turvy) or whatever.. I couldnt see anything...Either I was **** scared or I dont know..
11. I heard a bang and the next moment I realised all this action had stopped.. (i.e. swirling, bouncing, crashing etc.).. I saw that I was upside down. I again began praying that I am not on the opposite side or in the middle of the highway and someone comes and bangs me.. I couldnt figure out where I was.. (ofcourse I was in the car)
12. I was upside down. The first thing I did was -- started honking continuously thinking I am in the middle of road and people should get alert.
13. The car blinkers were blinking continuously automatically, I hadnt started them
14. I always drive with fog lights ON during the rains, so they had remained on that way.
15. Next I removed the seat belts and crawled out of the car from the driver side window which was anyway shattered.
16. Next fearing a car explosion (although I thought diesel cars dont burst) - I removed the ignition key.
17. I stood with a big pain in my chest and torn clothes with shock.
18. I looked around and couldnt understand where the hell I was.. I had FALLEN OF THE BRIDGE, which is a duct in the center of the highway and a canal for all the mountain waters to pass,
19. The car was upside down, the boot had opened & my laptop bag was thrown out.. I picked the bag up from the canal (the canal was having about 2 feet water -- which runs only during rains I suppose).
20. Even before I had crawled out of the car, a team of 10 highway patrol police had rushed to the spot. The car had blocked access from where they could come to rescue me vs. where I stood.
21. The other side was deep in water so I couldnt go that side to get out.
22. However they climbed and took me quickly in 2 minutes right into an ambulance where the doctor did preliminary check.
23. The ambulance rushed me to the hospital in Nigdi Pune.
24. I was alright ( cant believe) friends rushed in and X-ray/sono etc was taking place..
25. I have broken few ribs and fractured few, and minor bruises around my body.. Rest I dont want to talk about medical stuff.. just to let everyone know.. I'm alright.

Now I have few major questions: If anyone can help me put light on those it will be helpful.

1. The VW Polo Airbags DID NOT OPEN. Neither driver nor passenger. WHY? Can I log a complaint against VW -- I bought this car just for airbags and ABS.
2. I fell into a pit about 20 feet down upside down. Did the sturdy construction of the car body itself saved me? I thought this was the case for atleast 10% true.
3. I thought ABS doesnt let your car slip and skid.. Is my understanding wrong? Do I need a car which has EBD instead? (remember teh car swirled after applying brakes)
4. I later learnt I had crashed the pit wall RCC concrete wall of 15 feet completely and then fallen down. The car shape is deformed into amoeba like you see in the pics.

I think only GOD saved me and no other car would have. Please share whatever thoughts you have for this incident.

Other points:
1. Highway police - top notch professional. After I returned back on my way to Mumbai I met them and they refused to take any sort of gifts from me.
2. Went to Lonavala Gramin Police station - they need 20K for FIR !!! Same old shitty behaviour
3. VW helpline was helpful -- they towed the vehicle immediately after I requested FREE OF COST
4. The car is under warranty, but still airbags didnt open which remains a mystery to me. What should I be doing?
5. I am a safe driver, I was conscious when all these things were happening, I neither had fallen asleep even a wink, or forget drink and drive.
6. I could count the number of turns, the hits the car were taking, and I didnt forget to breathe. The cars which meet with only maybe 10% of what happened can kill people (Cops told me they die of cardiac arrest).
7.Please suggest me a safer car.

I think only GOD saved me and no other car would have. Please share whatever thoughts you have for this incident.

Man, you are lucky. Count your blessings. There is next to no damage to the front of your car - so you obviously did not suffer massive deceleration and hence I would not expect front airbags to open. Presume the Polo does not have curtain airbags. ABS is not going to save you from a spin caused by a high speed side impact - it will only prevent you from skidding under normal braking. Lets remember that airbags and ABS do not make us invulnerable. Take care, and drive safe.

That turn you met accident on is a tricky and a long one, especially in the rains.
I used to study in Sinhagad Institute, and over the time of 3 years of my stay there, have seen many accidents, a few quite serious ones.

Man !! You are lucky and God IS with you. Thank god nothing big happened. I am shaken by just reading this incident, I can imagine how you would have felt.

You can request VW to analyse why the car did not open its airbag. The only probablity that i can think of is the sensor circuit would have jammed on impact. There have been instances of Air bag opening when Polo hit a curb at 40 kmph. This should have inflated the airbag.

Dear Frontosa - One of my very dear friends had a similar escape at exactly the same spot about 10 days before you. His car spun 360 degrees for 5 times, hit the divider and was badly damaged but my friend is absolutely safe. There was however, no other vehicle involved.

Dear all - please be careful at this spot. It is just after the Sinhgad Institute 90 degree turn going towards Pune.

WELCOME TO YOUR 2nd LIFE
Dude, you do realize that you are one lucky guy, right??!! Seeing the pics, nobody will believe that you came out of it alive. Well I dont know if you should sue VW or thank VW. If the ABS & AIRBAGS tried to kill you,by failing to act,the rigid bodyshell saved you!!
Buddy, was there oil on the roads? I dont see any other explanation as to why the car skid on applying the brakes.
Kudos to Highway Police!!
My definition of a safe car was the one which has at least ABS & AIRBAGS. I guess I need to find a new definition.
Dude,rememberto celebrate every 14th Aug as your new Birthday!
Regards
Varun

Exactly what I felt after reading. Hell man!!! You can now seriously believe in reincarnation!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayek

There is next to no damage to the front of your car - so you obviously did not suffer massive deceleration and hence I would not expect front airbags to open. Presume the Polo does not have curtain airbags. ABS is not going to save you from a spin caused by a high speed side impact - it will only prevent you from skidding under normal braking.

Cars with minimal frontal damage can burst open airbag. Depends greatly on sensors sensitivity and the placements. I don't like to doubt about VW's design defect here.

That said, this car went through lot to get into this mangled shape...

Quote:

13. The car blinkers were blinking continuously automatically, I hadnt started them

..and the electricals were working!!

I'm not trying to draw any conclusion here. To me, it looks like an one off technical failure. Car with that shape and without airbag deployment looks like an exception to me.
Could seriously be a manufacturing defect.

Thank you all for your messages. I'm attaching few more pics which may assist in analyzing if at all.

One more question:
Car had Yoko S-drives but they still skid.. why is that?
Also Polo has 2 airbags, no curtains

Yes many accidents have happened at this spot. I went to MSRDC office yesterday and offered a senior office to sponsor a "Drive safe accident spot" board. He politely said, he will do his best to get such a board put up and inform me once done and that I dont have to pay - inspite of my request.